Marcy Ingram, JD, MBA, EdD
Marcy Ingram, JD, MBA, EdD, is a Judge serving in the Shelby County General Sessions Civil Court in Memphis, Tennessee. With over 24 years of public service and more than two decades of legal experience, she presides over a wide range of civil matters, including eviction disputes, breach of contract cases, personal injury claims, motor vehicle accidents, and emergency mental health commitment hearings. Her judicial approach is grounded in fairness, ethical decision-making, and ensuring that all parties—especially self-represented litigants—understand the legal process and their options within the courtroom.
Judge Ingram’s professional background spans both private practice and extensive public sector leadership. She began her legal career after earning a Juris Doctor from the University of Memphis – Juris Doctor (JD), following an academic path that includes a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Tennessee at Martin – Bachelor’s in Psychology; Master’s in Mental Health Counseling. She later expanded her expertise by earning a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Administration and a Master of Business Administration in Human Resources from Trevecca Nazarene University – EdD in Educational Leadership; MBA in Human Resources. Prior to her judicial appointment, she served in multiple roles within Shelby County Government, including deputy county attorney, legislative director, and complex litigation attorney supervisor.
Throughout her career, Judge Ingram has been deeply committed to public service, mentorship, and community engagement. She has volunteered extensively, including service with the YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South Parent Advisory Board and the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, and she is also a former foster parent to over 30 children. Her leadership philosophy emphasizes fairness, respect, and ethical responsibility, shaped by both her professional experiences and her early life influences. She continues to be active in the legal community through membership in the Memphis Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, and the National Bar Association, and remains dedicated to improving access to justice and strengthening public trust in the judicial system.
• Master of Business Administration
• Juris Doctor
• Doctor of Education
• University of Tennessee at Martin – Bachelor of Science in Psychology
• University of Tennessee at Martin – Master of Education in Mental Health Counseling
• University of Memphis – Juris Doctor (JD)
• Trevecca Nazarene University – Doctor of Education (EdD), Educational Leadership and Administration
• Trevecca Nazarene University – Master of Business Administration (MBA), Human Resources Management
• Influential Women 2026
• Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association
• Memphis Bar Association
• Tennessee Bar Association
• Influential Women Network
• YMCA Parent Advisory Board
• Big Sister Big Brother Program
• Foster parent for 7 years (housed over 30 children)
What do you attribute your success to?
I would say probably my grandmother, Irene Nesbitt, and just watching her work as a young child. She wasn't highly educated, but she was a hard worker. I remember her just being so proud of working. She used to say she used to pick cotton as a sharecropper and grew up in Mississippi, then moved to Tennessee and became a housemaid. I think I was in second grade when she was going to school at night because she wanted to get her GED. Sometimes during the summer, I would go with her, we would ride the bus, and I would go with her to go clean. But she just, even though she was the maid, she treated that job like it was very important, and she did her best, and she went to work every day, and she didn't complain. That just was the role model to me. Her thing was to make sure you stay in school so that you have options, so that you don't have to do this type of remedial work like I am. But she just, to raise 6 kids by herself and not be a complainer, even though she was doing very, very hard, hard labor work, that was my inspiration.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of my mentors told me, as a lawyer, to make your clients, treat everyone like they're your number one client, like they're your favorite. So every client you have should feel like they're special, they're number one, they take priority. It's very hard to do, too, especially when you have many clients. When I worked for county government representing all three branches (the executive branch meaning the mayor, the judicial branch meaning the judges, and the legislative branch meaning the county commission), treating all of them like they are the priority when they have competing interests is quite the challenge.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say to keep their head up and make sure they diversify their portfolio. For lack of a better saying, don't be a one-trick pony. Learn many different things in many different areas in the law. Don't just do criminal law, make sure you understand civil law. Make sure they are a subject matter expert in many things instead of just one. When you diversify your portfolio, you don't lock yourself into one area. For example, people won't even consider you to be an HR director if all you ever did was criminal law because they'll think you don't know anything about labor and employment laws. But when you do a little bit of everything, then you make sure that you always have some place to go. You don't want to be pigeonholed.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field is managing complex and competing interests while serving in a public judicial role. Judges must balance fairness, efficiency, and legal responsibility across a wide range of civil matters, often involving self-represented litigants and emotionally charged cases. Additionally, there is the ongoing responsibility of maintaining public trust while navigating the demands of judicial service and community accountability. At the same time, there is an opportunity to improve access to justice through education, clarity, and fair courtroom processes.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are fairness, respect, ethics, and treating others as I would want to be treated. These principles guide both my judicial responsibilities and my personal life. I believe that integrity in decision-making and consistent respect for others are essential to maintaining trust and ensuring justice is delivered equitably.